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tv   MSNBC Live  MSNBC  April 6, 2011 12:00pm-1:00pm EDT

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maneuvering or positioning. not on this. >> democts agreed to $33 billion in cuts, republicans want $61 billion. >> we have made clear that we're fighting for the largest spending cuts possible, we're talking about real spending cuts here, no smoke and mirrors. >> they're fighting over what to cut. >> every time we agree to meet in the middle, they move where the middle is. >> with time running out, democrats blame the tea party for the impasse. new york senator chuck schumer is urging tom bajohn boehner to the tea party to back off. >> they can't have everything their way. >> if the government shuts down, employees would stay at home. they can't volunteer to work for free or even check their e-mails. federally operated parks, zoos and museums would close. the irs would still collect payment, but refund checks would be delayed.
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the postal service wouldn't close because it is self-financed by postage stamps and other fees. and the federal reserve stays open. but both sides fear the political consequences of this shutdown and even tea party caucus founder michele bachmann told msnbc's "the daily rundown," she doesn't think it will happen. >> i firmly believe that by friday a deal will be made. >> luke russert is on capitol hill. in what areas are they getting closer? in what areas could they make a deal by friday? >> negotiations are ongoing last night between appropriators from both the house and the senate, contessa, which led chuck schumer to say there is a glimmer of hope. as of today there are no meetings scheduled between speaker boehner and the white house or speaker boehner and leader reid in the senate. you're really starting to see crunch time on this, contessa, because the real million dollar question is is what is that magic number where compromise could be reached? the white house and senate democrats have been floating $33 billion. it was reported yesterday that speaker boehner was arguing for
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$40 billion in cuts for the rest of this budget on the fiscal year 2011. there is an impasse there because we do not know where republicans are willing to go. they have said repeatedly they will not negotiate with themselves. they're fighting for the highest spending cuts possible and they really are taking this fight to the real bitter end, really drawing a line in the sand to show they're serious about reigning in what they see as wasteful government spending. >> does that lean keine keep mo? there were reports he agreed on 3 t the $33 billion and then no, no, there is no agreement. >> there were words th s thas t3 billion was agreed to. but then some said that was just a report coming from the democratic side. what you see now, contessa, is where are the cuts going to come from and also what is the it going to be the fate of the policy writers. policy writers are nonspending provisions within the budget. these are things that have to
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deal with the epa and regulatory carbon gases, things like planned parenthood and defunding that, things like the corporation for public broadcasting. speaker boehner said these policy riders are just as important to some of his members as cutting spending. harry reid said that's a nonstarter. that's a huge issue. we also can report that speaker boehner has instructed the house gop to stay around washington this weekend and the possibility they would have to go into saturday or sunday to work out a deal, but in terms of getting something done by friday, just procedurally, it gets tougher and tougher as the hours go by. right now, even the most optimistic people i've spoken to said it looks like it could be a distinct possibility. we have a long way to go. >> luke, thank you very much. here you've got the republicans saying they want to get as much money cut as possible. you've got the democrats saying that cutting certain programs are a nonstarter. people who specialize in negotiations say the key here is to get both parties to understand they are not going to get everything they want.
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my big question today, does congress need some professional mediators to go in and help negotiate the deal? i'd like it hear your thoughts. reach me on twitter, facebook, my e-mail is contessa@msnbc.com. a shutdown would affect only nonessential government services and employees. that means things like mu zamz and nati museums and national parks are closed. tax returns have to be filed on time, meaning you have to pay, but you might not get paid. passports and visas would not be processed. when you talk about nonessential services, nonessential to whom? on the senate floor today, republican kay bailey hutchison introduced a measure to ensure active duty military service members still would get paid. but she said overall, a shutdown is not a good idea. >> the consequences of a government shutdown will be enormous. and so many people who are talking about that as an option, as if it is not a big deal, just don't realize how many lives it
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will touch. >> democratic senator chris canes is a member of the budget committee, joins me now from capitol hill. senator, i understand if the government shuts down, this could truly affect whether people get jobs in your district. >> that's right, contessa. when i came to washington, just after the november election, i was focused on trying to help create good jobs to the people of delaware. and the real prospect of a shutdown of the federal government this weekend has real consequences back home in delaware where my staff and i have been working hard for months to pull together a big jobs fair for this monday. we expect over a thousand people to attend. we have rented out the biggest space in wilmington, delaware. we have 50 companies coming to interview perspective employees. and yet i'm being told, if there is a government shutdown, my staff cannot come and help pull together and staff that event. i'm reaching out to other folks, other state and local government entities to see if they could help staff it to make sure we're still able to focus on what
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everyone here says is our top priority, getting jobs for our people. >> let me ask you, the republicans say, look, something has got to give. you, yourself, said in the past it is impractical only to look at discretionary spending if you're trying to get the federal finance s under control. i want to put up paul ryan, his particular plan for the budget in 2012. it would cut spending by $5.8 trillion over ten years, it cuts corporate and personal tax rates to a top rate of 24%. privatizes medicare, effectively turning those programs over to the states using block grants. the budget office, nonpartisan congressional budget office says it would result in a surplus by 2040. is that a plan democrats -- is that a plan you could get behind? >> i'm not likely to support the budget plan that congressman ryan and the house budget committee have put forward.
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the senate budget committee is beginning markup of the final stages of putting together our budget proposal within just a few weeks. we have been meeting, we have been listening to the experts, we have been looking at the very strong proposals in a number of the deficit reduction commissions, the simpson bowls commission. i will commend congressman ryan for putting out a tough plan that makes real progress towards reducing the deficit and the debt, but i disagree with the values choices he's making. i do think we need corporate tax reform, i do think we need individual tax reform, but you also have to cut the loopholes that so many companies and wealthy individuals benefit from so that there is a net increase in tax revenue to the federal government as a part of comprehensive tax reform. there is also not enough of a hard look at defense spending reduction and at reforming entitlement in a way that doesn't do it on the backs of those who most need medicare and medicaid. >> and do you think, in terms of this year's budget, the 2011 budget, the countdown clock is
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on, is there room to budge on things like, you know what luke russert was telling us, defunding planned parenthood and npr? is that anything that senate democrats would ever compromise on? >> no. i think it is important for the house republicans to hear, yes, when we're saying yes. their original goal was to cut $73 billion when the serious negotiations started. we were well below that. and a steady series of negotiations and a series of continuing resolutions has gotten us to a point where there is agreement on the number. what we're disagreeing about is the policy riders that they're insisting on putting out there. this ought to be about cutting spending. >> boehner says there is no solid number. he says they're trying to get as much money and cuts as possible. seems like sort of a nebulous goal. >> that's part of our challenge, is when we get to yes, when we're giving three-quarters of their original goal, they can't say, yes to yes. they're insisting on moving the goal posts further and further,
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which makes me question whether what they're seriously committed to is reaching agreement, reducing federal spending this fiscal year and then getting to the hard work of a long term budget solution. we all know it is going to take months for us to work through a real long-term deficit and debt reduction plan. as a member of the budget committee, i'm really hoping we're going to get to that conversation because the american people want us to be focusing on jobs and on the investments that will make our country competitive. at the same time that we make progress on the deficit and debt. we're still having a fight over this current fiscal year, which is already more than half gone. we need to get to yes and make progress for the american people. >> so, senator, what do you think, professional mediators, would they help? >> it seems to me this is a body that could use outside intervention. there are some very bright, capable people here with a lot of experience. i think most of us have a common sense understanding of what needs to be done. but at the end of the day, i think the biggest divide here is
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not between the senate democrats and the house republicans, but between the house republican leadership and a lot of the freshmen who are insisting on more extreme agenda here as we're trying to achieve responsible reductions in spending. >> senator coons, thank you for spending time with us. developing news out of wisconsin, the union debate came to a head at the polls. it was a race for state supreme court justice and right now as it stands, too close to call. voters were evenly split over whether to re-elect conservative justice david prosser or little known challenger joanne cloppenburg. voters turned out in record numbers, which ended as a referendum on scott walker's anti-union budget. kloppenburg has backing. prosser has a 585-vote lead. so a recount is likely. the democrats are ready to make a run at women voters ahead of the 2012 election.
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leading the charge, a congresswoman from florida. president obama tapped debbie wasserman schultz as the new leader who is replacing tim kaine. karen finney used to be the communications director for the dnc and now a democratic strategi strategist. what will be debbie's strength coming in as the leader of the dnc? >> she brings a lot, actually. she's a young working mom. she's from florida which is a critical state. she's very dynamic. she's a great fund-raiser. she's great on television. so she's a great messenger for the democratic party, which is critical. and i think she has broad appeal within the party and among independents as well. very important we have someone as our chairwoman who can appeal to the progressive base. i think she does. >> at this point in time, you have -- you're going into a re-election campaign with
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president obama, he's got a strong fund-raising ability himself, he's the incumbent president, makes it a little bit easier. she's on her fourth term in congress, she plans to keep her day job. does that detract at all or because you're dealing with the top candidate on the ticket who is such a strong fund-raiser himself makes the job a little bit easier? >> i think it is certainly going to be a challenge for her in terms of time management. because she's got her day job. she's also up for re-election and running the dnc is no small task, particularly during a re-elect. i think this is a woman who, and, look, come on, women, what do we do all the time? we multitask and we juggle. i think she's shown she's pretty adept at that. i think it is also a plus, as much as tim kaine was a great chairman, it is a great asset to have him running in virginia, which is, as you know, contessa, an important state for democrats. we won in 2006 and 2008. so if we can pull it out again in 2012, that's going to be a big deal in terms of turning the
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tide in making that a battleground state. >> karen, good to see you. thank you. nato's reassuring libyan rebels it does support them. that rebel army is trying to regain control of brega, an important port city. the commander accused nato of being too slow to launch air strikes against gadhafi forces. and insisted that is putting civilians in danger. nato says it is increasing air strikes every day and in fact is dominating libyan air space. jim maceda has the latest now from tripoli. jim, this seems like a moment when the rebels would really appreciate a little less talk and a lot more action. >> reporter: well, that's true, contessa. and the slow movement on air strikes is becoming an issue. rebel leaders are now complaining quite openly about the infrequent sy of nato air strikes, they complain about the red tape, it takes too long to get an air strike from the time they are requested. nato, however, contessa, is defending its operation, saying that there have been over 850 sorties since it took command on
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march 31st, arguing also that if you take brega, for instance, gadhafi has been hiding his troops and weapon inside that city and among civilians, they say, effectively using them as human shields. of course, that does make air strikes very difficult. the rebels, however, are countering that saying there are no civilians in front line areas like brega and other places. so, in fact, contessa, what seems to be happening is that nato, though it is not saying it, is micromanaging the ground war from the air. just enough air strikes to keep gadhafi's forces from taking advantage, pushing east and retaking towns like benghazi, at the same time not too many air strikes so that the rebels frankly can't push into sirte and back to tripoli, which would create a massive loss of life. >> jim maceda, thank you, jim. eight bodies and counting. police expand the search on a
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new york beach. what police think they might find. plus, police pepper spray an 8-year-old and now he's talking. why the child says he kind of deserved it. look at this, it is being called the most terrifying accident ever. caught on camera. there's another way to minimize litter box odor: purina tidy cats. tidy cats premium line of litters now works harder to help neutralize odors in multiple-cat homes. and our improved formula also helps eliminate dust. so it's easier than ever to keep your house smelling just the way you want it. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home.
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about two dozen new york police cadets are joining the search for more victims along a beach highway today where eight bodies have been found. detectives suspect a serial killer but don't have suspects. the bodies of three more victims were found in the dense underbrush on monday. police have not yet linked those to the earlier remains. a florida man who spent 18 years behind bars as a convicted rapist is free today. his family greeted derrick williams when he was released from prison. dna evidence won him a new trial, but the rape victim in the case did not want to relive
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the crime, so the state dropped the charges against him, even though prosecutors and the victim still believe this is the guy who was responsible for the crime. colorado police say they had a good reason for pepper spraying a grade schooler. they say the second-grader was dangerously out of control. the 8-year-old reportedly threatened to kill his teachers with a sharp piece of trim ripped off the wall. the 8-year-old's mom is outraged saying, come on, they could have just talked him down, like they had before. nbc's kerry sanders has more on this story from colorado. >> reporter: the question here in colorado, did the police overreact when they used a pepper spray like this to handle an unruly 8-year-old in second grade? he's in the school here, this all took place back in february. aidan apparently got out of control, he loves spider-man, but he also apparently admits he has some anger issues. and in some of those anger issues he started throwing chairs. the two teachers in the
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classroom retreated in -- actually closed the door, sectioning themselves off and then they phoned the police. meanwhile, aidan was saying, among other things, if you come out, you're gonna die. the teachers took this very seriously. when the police arrived, they used a pepper spray to subdue him. this is what he and his mother had to say to meredith vieira on the "today" show today. >> i want them to get training like other local police departments in our area have. i don't think it is right for an 8-year-old to get pepper sprayed. >> reporter: aidan is no longer attending the school here. he has been removed and is attending a school that deals specifically with children with behavioral problems. meantime, the police are not commenting and, of course, there were no charges filed here. contessa? >> kerry, thank you. well, they plugged the radiation leak in the ocean. but is the damage already done? are japan's fish safe to eat? plus, the trial over silvio
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berlusconi's parties. the trial began in italy today and we'll hear from one of the party girls. bristol palin's big payday. you won't believe how much the now 20-year-old mom earns for talking about abstinence. how are you getting to a happier place? running there? dancing there? how about eating soup to get there? campbell's soups fill you with good nutrition, farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.
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hello, oceanic. he plans to travel to the bottom of all five oceans and he could set world records for exploring more than six miles down. he's hoping to turn this venture into areas not yet explored. one of the most anticipated trials started in italy today. what really went on at silvio berlusco berlusconi's bunga bunga parties. hot on the web today, a surfer pilot is getting a lot of backlash for landing his plane in the surf off new york. >> are we allowed to land on the beach? >> i don't think so unless it was an emergency. >> i'm a paramedic. >> those are public beaches. you're only allowed to land there in an emergency. >> dude wanted to know if he was
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getting up in the faa's grill at jfk. this was talking to controllers. he asked if it is okay to land on the beach, the controller says, in an emergency. and the totally chill axed pilot said maybe there is a teensyly problem wi little problem with his engine. then he landed on the beach and he got the idea from "flying wild alaska". madonna's reps saying the charity is changing for the positive to serve more children. but that it is not being investigated by the fbi nor the irs. newsweek reports the charity raised 18 million bucks, spent almost $4 million on an academy for girls but the school is not happening, the charity is imploding and the reporter questions whether cabbalah is to blame. bristol palin making big news today for her big paycheck. $262,000 to be an abstinence
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ambassador. the candies foundation accepts donations to rare awareness about teen pregnancy and she's become the face of the effort. but the charity paid only a reported $35,000 to actual initiatives to prevent teen pregnancy. by the way, coincidentally, one of the hot searches on google today, pregnancy symptoms. yyou s on every surface in your mouth. but did you know those same germs can build up and form a resilient layer called biofilm? biofilm germs are strong enough to survive daily brushing. thankfully, there's listerine® antiseptic. its triple-action formula goes deep to penetrate biofilm, kill germs and protect your mouth for up to 12 hours. aaaahhhh... [ male announcer ] for a deeper clean, fight biofilm with listerine®.
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number of white adults and as they age, they're being replaced by a growing number of minorities younger than 18. the texas a&m women's basketball team won its first national championship beating out notre dame 76-70. president obama due to leave for philadelphia any minute now without a budget deal in place. the president's planning to talk about protecting americans from rising oil prices as part of a big energy plan. later on he'll have a town hall discussion at an energy facility. on capitol hill, the focus is on keeping the government running. and the war of words doesn't look like it is going to end anytime soon. >> at this late stage of the game, realt reality is more im than ideology. republicans refuse to take yes for an answer. >> they would like to insist that 33 is the top number and want to use smoke and mirrors in order to get there. >> mike viqueira is live at the white house right now. so, mike, when we're talking about the president's daily
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activities, versus what is happening on capitol hill and the budget negotiations, is there any chance the president hosts once again a meeting to try and get a deal done? >> reporter: well, you know, it is interesting. we have just seen marine one lift off from the south lawn here as we're coming on the air with you, contessa and hear from kelly o'donnell on the hill that there is the possibility that when he returns from visiting that wind turbine manufacturer -- >> the pictures we're showing right now are marine one landing now at the air force base where he's going to get on air force one to go to philadelphia. >> reporter: yes. this is the usual drill when the president leaves town. he's going to philadelphia, a wind turbine manufacturing plant. this, of course, part of his energy innovation strategy. he's been talking about it a lot lately. it has been overshadowed by world events and not to mention the looming threat of a government shutdown friday, midnight. we heard from white house officials on background describing how that would look. 800,000 civilian federal workers would be furloughed under the
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scenario that they are outlining. that's out of 2 million civilian workers. here is the threshold that they're putting forth, the safety of life and protection of property, anybody involved in the safety of life or protection of property would not be furloughed, but 800,000 federal workers would be. what would be affected? museums, parks would be closed, small but symbolic. big deal around here, the cherry blossom parade around here would be canceled. tax refunds, not electronically, that could be adversely affected or delayed. social security applications, social security checks would keep coming forward, but new applications would be delayed. passports and visas, similar story there, contessa. they're thinking about the unthinkable here in washington. it is starting to look with each passing minute as more and more of a possibility. >> and i'm just getting an e-mail now from a viewer who says, look, she's part of a dual federal government family, their
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entire life, she says, put on hold because week after week, cr after cr we don't know if we will both be out of work or for how long. i mean, this issue of the furloughed workers, there is a lot of people affected when the federal government shuts down. maybe none as much as furloughed workers who don't know about their pay. >> reporter: and throw in military. men and women in uniform, huge problem there, they will still be earning their pay, they just won't be getting paychecks. whenever this is all straightnd out, then they get their back pay. it is a big mess all the way down the line, contessa. they're still negotiating, still working towards some sort of agreement between now and friday, midnight. >> mike viqueira, thank you very much. that's marine one that is landing now at andrews air force base, live. the president switching to air force one to head for philadelphia for his appearance there. but, again, the real issue on his mind for sure today is going to be whether a budget deal gets done to avoid a government shutdown. boeing admits it was cut off
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guard when a hole ripped open in one of its planes last week. they said they miscalculated the risks, not anticipating cracks could occur so early in a plane's life. they had to make an emergency landing after a five foot tear appeared in the fuselage. boeing acknowledged older 737 aircraft could face crack problems, but it did not expect it on the 14-year-old southwest plane. the company used to advise airlines to conduct inspections after 60,000 flights and now it says, nope, maybe after 30,000 flights you should start. that didn't take long. silvio berlusconi's sex trial began today and lasted all of eight minutes. he's charged with paying an underaged prostitute for sex, a charge could earn him 12 years in jail and end his political career. michelle kosinski has more from milan. >> reporter: the first day of the trial lasted eight minutes. it was all procedural and he did not make an appearance. he's already facing three other
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trials for corruption, but, of course, this is the one that gets all the attention. all the women, the allegations of wild parties, and he has not exactly been shy about all this. silvio berlusconi's latest defense, at age 74, even he could not have done it. telling a newspaper, even though i'm a little mischiefmaker, 33 girls in two months is too much even for a 30-year-old. >> you never see him frustrated. he's not afraid of the public or the media. >> reporter: these tv show girls told us berlusconi's now infamous bunga bunga parties at his villa were elegant dinners where they might dance and the prime minister would sing. like a second father, says barbara guerra. but now leaked photos supposedly show the bunga bunga in progress, with barbara guerra dressed like a not quite police officer. real police have called these
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soirees origin s orgies. they defend him. >> it is not a monster. it is like a simple man. >> reporter: this woman says she's been to many of the prime minister's parties. >> they weren't full of sex and partying and naked women? >> no. never see this like crazy things. he love me, but, you know, it is like platonic love. >> reporter: when was the last time you talked to him? >> today. >> reporter: you talked to him today? she called berlusconi, but the person who answer eed was with
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group. what he berlusconi allegedly claimed she was related to mubarak. is all in the end for italy's leader? >> if he were convicted of this crime, he would never be able to be a politician for the rest of his life. >> reporter: over the years, berlusconi faced many trials for corruption, but always walked away. in this case, experts say, is not necessarily a slam dunk. berlusconi insists he doesn't sleep with ruby, didn't know her age, and thought she was related to mubarak. >> the prosecution stills had a lot to prove here. a lot is going to hinge around what he knew, when he knew it. >> reporter: the tough leflon h state with the big smile is now in the hands of three judges, all women, the no nonsense kind. so prosecutors have 20,000 pages of stuff, lots of wiretaps, but it remains to be seen how much of that is actually damming because what is leaked out so far has not been necessarily, at least as far as crimes are
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concerned. and berlusconi has been light hearted about this. the other day while he was handling a tough immigration issue, he made a joke. he said when women were asked would they sleep with the prime minister, 33% said yes and 67% what, again? not everybody, though, finds this funny at all. back to you. >> michelle co-siichelle kosins. for three hours a week, i'm a coach. but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer... i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions i felt lost. unitedhealthcare offered us a specially trained rn
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a new study reveals a mediterranean diet not only helps prevent heart disease, but may reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome as well. researchers found those who ate a diet rich in olive oil, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and moderate amounts of alcohol. a mediterranean diet boosted levels of hdl or good cholesterol. i'm andrea mitchell. coming up on "andrea mitchell reports," who to blame if the government shuts down. we'll have your first exclusive look at the results of our new nbc news/wall street journal poll". we'll talk with amy rhame imy k we'll look at prison spending and education. ben jealous joining us. we'll see you in 15 minutes. donald trump has an engagement with the tea party.
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he'll be the keynote speaker at the south florida tax day tea party in boca raton april 16th. he's been flirting with a 2012 run since january but will wait until june to make a firm decision on whether to throw his hat in the ring. tim pawlenty is out with another snappy new campaign video. he's the only republican so far who made a firm move toward the 2012 race. and this new video features a montage of cable news clips including one from this program. here's a look. >> tim pawlenty, releasing his own response video to the president's launch. he's the only -- >> the president's first official day of campaigning, pawlenty was the only republican candidate ready to take him on. >> politico reports in first 24 hours of president obama's 2012 campaign, contributions were made. the president named his senior campaign staff including jim
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messina. new developments in japan, workers at the crippled nuclear plant have stopped highly radioactive water from leaking into the ocean. but they're not ruling out that water is leaking into the sea from other points. engineers are preparing to inject nitrogen into vessels to prevent any hydrogen explosions like the three that rocked the plant last month. no immediate threat of more explosions right now. and fukushima police will launch a full scale search for bodies in the evacuation zone tomorrow. 4200 people are still missing after the disaster. the leak has sparked real worries about contaminated fish making their way into this country. miguel almaguer has thouse details from los angeles. >> reporter: about 10% of the fish at this wholesaler here on the west coast comes straight from japan. it's fresh and the folks here
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say it's safe to eat. it seems the federal government seems to agree. just yesterday, the fda had an inspector at this facility who gave all of this fish the green light. still, some are worried. fresh fish imported from japan. $236 million industry last year alone. much of the mackerel, yellow tail and thai snapper at this los angeles distributor came from japanese waters less than 40 hours ago. still, some restaurants and consumers aren't taking any chances. >> no, we are not serving any fish from japan now. >> i think as a new mom, especially one that is breast-feeding, i am worried about radiation in the whole food supply. >> reporter: despite that caution, the u.s. government says americans should not be concerned. >> people should feel confident in the safety of the food supply. >> reporter: the food and drug administration, the fda, says it
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ramped up its examination of seafood from japan. so far, the fda says, not a single radioactive fish has been detected in this country. >> fda has established a safety net to make sure anything that is coming into this country is safe for human consumption. >> reporter: last month, the u.s. government halted all imports from the area near japan's crippled nuclear plant. but this week, new worries as tons of radioactive water was sent into the ocean, after thousands of contaminated fish were found within miles of the plant, the japanese government announced new radiation standards for its fish. india responded by banning imports of all food from japan. on this side of the pacific ocean, japanese fish still sells where you can find it. >> we are still buying fish from japan. i think it is safe. >> i am a physician. and i'm very much aware of issues about radioactivity and i don't think we really have to be
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concerned at this time. >> reporter: imported fish from japan still considered safe. but today, some won't take the risk. even though hundreds of millions of dollars of fresh fish comes in from japan every year into this country, it only makes up a small percentage of the fish we actually eat from overseas. and, again, the fda says all of this fish is safe to eat. contessa? >> miguel almaguer reporting there. live to washington, d.c. now where the tea partiers are gathered on capitol hill. this is a cut spending now rally where they're urging folks on the budget committee to enact deep cuts and we have just seen michele bachmann out ready to take the podium there. of course it comes on a day when new york senator chuck schumer is urging speaker boehner to tell the tea party to back off, they're not going to get everything that they want in this case. and, again, michele bachmann now right at the podium. quick break here. we'll be right back. for better .
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well, we have been talking online today about the budget stalemate, the looming government shutdown, and whether what works in legal cases could work on capitol hill. professional mediators to help both parties negotiate an agreement perhaps. bertina points out, mediation only works if both parties behave like adults. joni writes, if we need mediators, then we don't need congress. a two-party system should be able to broker compromise. if they can't, we need to elect people who can. and sandy responds, what a great idea. an entity that does not have a political stake in the process would surely be able to move negotiations along. there is entirely too much pride, ego and self-interest at play. i'm always interested in what you have to say about the stories we cover. reach us on facebook, twitter, my e-mail is contessa@msnbc.com. the wave of revolution sweeping the middle east could
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put added pressure on israel to make peace with the palestinians. at the white house yesterday, israeli president shimon peres invited president obama to visit israel in the next few months. he also said he supports the changes in the middle east. >> the president, like myself, is convinced the awakening in the middle east is a call of history. and that we have to take all the necessary steps to make it a success. >> i'm joined by colonel david haham. good to have you today, sir. >> thank you. >> it looks like the scrutiny is coming down on israel at this point. you have in september the united nations could vote to accept the state of palestine. which would mean that israel and its settlements occupy land of another u.n. member. there is not a single government
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that supports israel's sett settlements now and israel still makes new settlements. just did so recently. what is israel prepared to do for peace between the israelis and palestinians? >> we are prepared to do a lot in order to resume negotiations with the palestinians. what we are saying to the palestinians right now is very simple and very logic. we are telling the head of the senior authority, please come back to the negotiating table. we as israelis, we are ready to resume negotiations and to tackle all the core issues of the problems between us, of the conflict between us as israel and the palestinian side. >> how can that be the case when netanyahu let the moratorium on building settlements expire, when yesterday israel approved the construction of 942 new homes in the gila settlement in east jerusalem. how is that fair to the palestinian families who are hoping for peace in the same
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way, but are seeing israel not keeping up its side of the bargain. >> of course there are differences of opinion between israel from the one side and palestinian from the other side. but at the same time what we are saying to the palestinian come back and we are ready to deal with you to discuss with you about all the core issues including settlements. you cannot stop life. we are more than 40 years after the war of 1967. there are facts on the ground, but we are saying to the palestinians in principle, come back to the negotiating table, don't bypass means in order to skip over free negotiations. >> are you personally -- are you personally optimistic you'll see this in your lifetime? >> listen, in the present circumstances these are, i mean, something that i cannot see behind the door. but i think at the end of the day, if the palestinian understands this is their interest to come back to negotiations, they will take the
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right decision in order to resume negotiations with the israeli side. >> colonel david haham, i appreciate your time today. thank you for joining us. >> thank you very much. i'm contessa brewer. i appreciate the time you've spent with us today. i'll see you back here tomorrow. congress will hold a hearing on the don't ask, don't tell policy. up next, "andrea mitchell reports." hi, andrea. thanks so much. up next, we'll be talking about the budget, the stalemated negotiations with congressman elithe gentlemjah cummings. plus, new revelations about malcolm x's life and his death. here is your business travel forecast on this wednesday. compared to all the bad weather we had recently, it is a nice, quiet day to be traveling. manufacture the big cities and
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airport hubs are looking fine today. light rain possible in detroit. that will arrive in areas like philadelphia and new york city later on tonight. as we go to the west coast, that's where the next storm is moving on shore, a chance of showers in seattle. [ male announcer ] this is james. the morning after the big move starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now... and maybe up to 4 in a day. or, choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain.
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right now on "andrea mitchell reports," this time it could be real. the government on the brink of a shutdown, 800,000 workers warned they may lose their pay. negotiators playing the blame game. >> every time we agree to meet in the middle, they move where the middle is.

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